Commodity sales data processor

ABSTRACT

Connection of a USB memory (storage device) to a USB port (data transmitting and receiving unit) is detected and the date and time of detection of this connection is stored. Using this detection of connection as trigger, a camera is caused to pick up an image of an area embracing a user positioned in a position where the user can operate a user interface. Picked-up image data outputted from the camera is stored together with shooting date and time.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Division of application Ser. No. 12/356,926 filedJan. 21, 2009, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein byreference.

The present application is based on and claims the benefit of priorityof Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-014189 filed on Jan. 24, 2008,the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a commodity sales data processor, suchas POS terminal, that is introduced in stores, such as supermarkets andshopping malls, and used by multiple clerks.

BACKGROUND

Commodity sales data, which is accumulated in a POS terminal or the likeevery day, accurately reflects the state of sales at the relevant storeand thus provides material very helpful in plotting a sales strategy.For this reason, the value of commodity sales data has been highlyincreased in the retail trade and the like operating supermarkets or thelike.

As the value of commodity sales data is increased as mentioned above,more and more wrongdoers have attempted to improperly run away withcommodity sales data from a POS terminal. Common POS terminals areidentical with PCs in configuration. Therefore, many of them areprovided with a data transmitting and receiving unit (for example, USBport) to which a storage device (for example, USB memory) can beconnected. It is easy to connect a storage device to a POS terminal andcopy and run away with commodity sales data.

In stores, such as supermarkets, one POS terminal is operated bymultiple users as a rule. Therefore, even though it is revealed that anunjustifiable act has been carried out and an attempt is made to findout the wrongdoer, it is very difficult.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-148762 discloses atechnique for making a specific PC unusable unless a specific storagedevice is connected to the PC. If this storage device is stolen by awrongdoer, however, it is impossible to find out the true criminal.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to make it possibleto easily find out a wrongdoer who connects a storage device to acommodity sales data processor, such as POS terminal, and copies andruns away with data.

According to the present invention, the novel commodity sales dataprocessor of the invention includes: a user interface having aninformation input function; a camera picking up an image of an areaembracing a user positioned in a position where the user can operate theuser interface and outputting picked-up image data; and a datatransmitting and receiving unit allowing a storage device for rewritablystoring data to be connected and enabling data communication with thestorage device. The commodity sales data processor carries out: adetecting process of detecting connection of the storage device to thedata transmitting and receiving unit; a process of storing the date andtime of detection of the connection in a predetermined storage area; anda process of, when the connection is detected, controlling and causingthe camera to pick up an image and storing picked-up image dataoutputted from the camera and shooting date and time together in thestorage area.

According to the present invention, a method for monitoring users of thenovel commodity sales data processor of the invention includes detectingconnection of a storage device for rewritably storing data to a datatransmitting and receiving unit by an information processing unit. Atthis step, the data transmitting and receiving unit allowing the storagedevice to be connected and enabling data communication with the storagedevice. The method further includes storing date and time of detectionof the connection in a predetermined storage area by the informationprocessing unit. The method further includes, when the connection isdetected, controlling and causing a camera to pick up an image andstoring picked-up image data outputted from the camera, together withshooting date and time, in the storage area by the informationprocessing unit. At this step, the camera picking up an image of an areaembracing a user positioned in a position where the user can operate auser interface having an information input function.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the present invention and many of theattendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the samebecomes better understood by reference to the following detaileddescription when considered in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an appearance perspective view of a POS terminal;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of aPOS terminal;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing carried outat a POS terminal;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the data composition of a logfolder;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a displayscreen image of an operator display panel with an alarm display shown;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a screendisplay image of an operator display panel with a password requestscreen displayed; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a screendisplay image of an operator display panel with a list screen displayed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Description will be given to an embodiment of the invention withreference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 6. This embodiment is an example in whichthe invention is applied to a POS terminal 101 installed in a store.

FIG. 1 is an appearance perspective view of the POS terminal 101. ThePOS terminal 101 is placed on a cash box 102. The POS terminal 101 iscapable of controlling the opening operation of the drawer 103 of thecash box 102. On the right side of the upper face of the POS terminal101, there are disposed a keyboard 104 as a user interface and anoperator display panel 105 as a display unit. On the left side of theupper face of the POS terminal, a receipt printer 106 is disposed. Thekeyboard 104 includes, for example, a numeral keypad for inputtingnumerals, an intermediate total key as a temporary totaling key, and adeposit/cash total key as a totaling key. The operator display panel 105is, for example, a liquid crystal display device. At the rear part ofthe upper face of the POS terminal 101, a customer display panel 107 isprovided. The groove provided in proximity to the right side face of thePOS terminal 101 in FIG. 1 is a card read groove 109 for scanning a cardto read card information or perform other like operation by a cardreader/writer 108 (FIG. 2).

The POS terminal 101 includes HDD 151 (FIG. 2) and a CD-ROM drive 152(FIG. 2) as storage devices. On the right side face of the POS terminal101 as viewed from the operator side, there is provided a CD-ROM tray110 for loading CD-ROM 152 a (FIG. 2).

The POS terminal 101 is connected with a barcode reader. 111 foroptically reading the barcode affixed to each commodity (not shown). ThePOS terminal is also connected with a pointing device 113 for moving acursor (not shown) displayed on the screen of the operator display panel105 to perform various operations.

In the front face of the POS terminal 101, a USB port 114 is provided.Therefore, a USB memory 201 having a USB connector 202 can be connectedto the POS terminal 101 in this embodiment. Another USB port (not shown)different from this USB port 114 may be provided, for example, in therear face or the like of the POS terminal 101.

Further, the POS terminal 101 in this embodiment is provided with acamera 112 for picking up images, integrated with the upper frameencircling the screen of the operator display panel 105. The camera 112is used to pick up an image of a user USR who operates the keyboard 104,pointing device 113, or the like as a user interface of the POS terminal101. For this reason, the camera 112 in this embodiment is placed insuch a direction that the camera can pick up an image of the area AR infront of the POS terminal 101 where a user USR is positioned when theuser USR performs the above operations. Thus the camera 112 picks up animage of the area AR embracing a user USR positioned in a position wherethe user USR can operate the keyboard 104, pointing device 113, or thelike. In this embodiment, further, the USB port 114 is disposed on thefront face side of the POS terminal 101. Therefore, the camera 112 picksup an image of the area AR embracing a user USR who performs theoperation of connecting the USB memory 201 to the USB port 114. Then thecamera 112 outputs the data on the picked-up image to the microcomputer161 (FIG. 2) of the POS terminal 101.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of thePOS terminal 101. The POS terminal 101 includes the microcomputer 161.The microcomputer 161 is constructed by connecting the following membersto CPU 153 that carries out varied arithmetic processing and controlseach part through a bus line 156: ROM 154 for fixedly storing fixeddata; and RAM 155 that rewritably stores mutable data and is used as awork area. The microcomputer 161 constitutes an information processingunit that carries out information processing.

The HDD 151 and the CD-ROM drive 152 are connected to the CPU 153 of themicrocomputer 161 through the bus line 156. The followingabove-mentioned members are all connected to the microcomputer 161through various input/output circuits (none of which is shown) and thebus line 156: the cash box 102, keyboard 104, operator display panel105, receipt printer 106, customer display panel 107, card reader/writer108, barcode reader 111, camera 112, and pointing device 113. Theoperation and the like of these members are controlled by themicrocomputer 161.

In addition, the POS terminal 101 includes a communication interface 157for carrying out data communication with a store controller 301 as ahigher-level device through a local area network 251 provided in thestore. This communication interface 157 is also connected to the busline 156.

The microcomputer 161 is connected with the above-mentioned USB port 114through the bus line 156. The USB connector 202 of the USB memory 201 isconnected to the USB port 114. The USB port 114 enables datacommunication with a USB memory 201 whose USB connector 202 is connectedthereto. The USB memory 201 has a USB controller 203 and a flash memorychip 204 as a nonvolatile memory. The USB controller 203 and the flashmemory chip 204 are stored in a plastic enclosure. The USB controller203 controls writing of data to the flash memory chip 204 and the like.The microcomputer 161 accesses the USB memory 201 and carries outwriting and reading of data to and from the flash memory chip 204.

In the HDD 151 provided in the POS terminal 101, there are stored anoperating system, various computer programs, and various data files.Each data file is stored as is saved in a folder. The operating systemand some of computer programs and data files are stored, for example, inthe CD-ROM 152 a and are read by the CD-ROM drive 152 and stored in theHDD 151. As another example, they may be downloaded from the storecontroller 301 through the local area network 251 and be stored in theHDD 151. The operating system, computer programs, and data files are allor partly copied to the RAM 155 when the POS terminal 101 is started andthen used.

On the mother board (not shown) of the POS terminal 101, there ismounted a real time clock (not shown) as a chip dedicated to timecounting. The operating system acquires date and time from the real timeclock when booted and time counting is thereafter carried out on theoperating system side.

The operating system in this embodiment conforms to the USB Mass StorageClass. In the POS terminal 101, therefore, it is unnecessary toseparately install a driver and the USB memory 201 connected to the USBport 114 can be recognized as a storage device by only the standardfunctions.

In the thus constructed POS terminal 101, commodity sales dataprocessing is carried out according to a computer program. The commoditysales data processing is roughly processing in which the following isimplemented: a unit price corresponding to a commodity code outputtedfrom the barcode reader 111 is acquired from a commodity data file (notshown) in which commodity codes and commodity information containingunit prices are stored in correspondence with each other; and asettlement amount is computed based on the acquired unit price. Datafiles, which are containing acquired commodity information, computedsettlement amount, and the like, are created as the result of executionof commodity sales data processing. The data files are stored ascommodity sales data in the HDD 151, for example, on atransaction-by-transaction basis.

In the POS terminal 101 in this embodiment, in addition to the commoditysales data processing, the processing described below is carried outaccording to a computer program.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of this processing carriedout at the POS terminal 101. The microcomputer 161 of the POS terminal101 waits until the USB connector 202 of a USB memory 201 is connectedto the USB port 114 and as a result the USB memory 201 is recognized asa storage device (Act 101). That is, detecting connection of a storagedevice to the data transmitting and receiving unit is realized.

When the USB connector 202 is inserted into and connected to the USBport 114 and the USB memory 201 is recognized as a storage device (Y atAct 101), the microcomputer 161 carries out the following processing: itacquires date and time, counted by the operating system, as “date andtime of connection detection,” which is date and time when connection ofthe USB memory 201 to the USB port 114 was detected. Then itsequentially stores the date and time of connection detection in aconnection detection log file LE (FIG. 4) (Act 102). The connectiondetection log file LF is a data file placed in a log folder F (FIG. 4)as a storage area formed in the HDD 151.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the data composition of thelog folder F. The log folder F is formed in a predetermined hierarchicallevel in the HDD 151. In the log folder F, there is saved the connectiondetection log file LF for sequentially storing “date and time ofconnection detection.” The connection detection log file LF is, forexample, plain text. Therefore, the contents of data in the connectiondetection log file LF can be viewed by such software as text editor.

Description will be continued referring back to FIG. 3. Themicrocomputer 161 drives and controls the camera 112 and causes it topick up an image (Act 103). As mentioned above, the camera 112 is sodisposed that it can pick up an image of the area AR in front of the POSterminal 101. Therefore, each image picked up by the camera 112 at Act103 embraces the image of a user USR who is trying to operate thekeyboard 104 or the like after the user USR connected the USB memory 201to the USB port 114. Data of the picked-up image is outputted, forexample, in the JPEG format from the camera 112 to the microcomputer161.

The microcomputer 161 stores the picked-up image data, outputted fromthe camera 112, in the log folder F (Act 104). At this time, themicrocomputer 161 acquires date and time counted by the operating systemas date and time of shooting by the camera 112 and stores the acquiredshooting date and time as date and time of the creation of the picked-upimage data. That is, in this embodiment, picked-up image data is storedtogether with shooting date and time.

Description will be given to picked-up image date with reference to FIG.4. Picked-up image data D stored in the log folder F is given a filename D1. This file name D1 is given based on the date and time when theimage was picked up and the picked-up image data D was created (creatingdate and time D2). Specifically, when the creating date and time D2 ofpicked-up image data D is “13:30 on Jan. 21, 2008,” “200801211330.jpg”is given as file name D1. “.jpg” contained in the file name D1 is anextension indicating the file format (JPEG format) of the picked-upimage data D. The creating date and time D2 can be viewed as a propertyof the picked-up image data D by performing a predetermined operationusing the pointing device 113 or the like. As mentioned above, thecreating date and time D2 of the picked-up image data D is equivalent tothe date and time when the relevant image was picked up. With respect toeach picked-up image data D stored in the log folder F, therefore, theshooting date and time can be learned by referring to the creating dateand time D2 of the picked-up image data D.

Description will be continued referring back to FIG. 3. Themicrocomputer 161 generates an alarm display W (FIG. 5) containing thepicked-up image based on the picked-up image data. The microcomputer 161shows the generated alarm display W on the operator display panel 105for a certain time (Act 105) and then terminates the series ofprocessing.

The processing from Act 101 to start of Act 105 is carried out inseveral seconds. In this embodiment, therefore, display of a picked-upimage based on picked-up image data is carried out in succession todetection of connection of a USB memory 201 to the USB port 114. As aresult, a user USR who has connected the USB memory 201 feels as if thepicked-up image were displayed as soon as the user USR connected the USBmemory.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a screendisplay image on the operator display panel 105 with an alarm display Wshown. The alarm display W in the example in FIG. 5 is shown in a basicscreen page B displayed on the operator display panel 105 whilecommodity sales data processing is being carried out.

First, description will be given to the basic screen page B. In thebasic screen page B, the current date and time counted by the operatingsystem is indicated in a date and time area B1. In the basic screen pageB, the name of a clerk who is signing on is also indicated in a name ofperson in charge area B2. In the basic screen page B, in addition,commodity information (unit price, commodity name, and the like)acquired from a commodity data file (not shown) as the result ofexecution of commodity sales data processing is indicated in a commodityinformation area B3. In the basic screen page B, further, money amountinformation containing a settlement amount computed by carrying outcommodity sales data processing and the like is indicated in a moneyamount information area B4.

In the lower left area of the basic screen page B, an alarm display Wencircled with a frame border striped in yellow and black. In the areain the basic screen page B where the alarm display W is shown, variedinformation is appropriately indicated while commodity sales dataprocessing is being carried out.

The alarm display W contains a picked-up image W1 based on picked-upimage data in the center thereof. The picked-up image W1 is the image ofa user USR who has connected the USB memory 201 to the USB port 114 ofthe POS terminal 101. Under the picked-up image W1, there are indicatedwarning characters W2 composed of a character string of “Picked-Up ImageSaved!” On the right of the picked-up image W1, there is indicatedshooting date and time W3 based on the date and time when the picked-upimage data was created.

The alarm display W may further contain information indicating thatconnection of a USB memory 201 has been detected. The alarm display Wmay also contain the date and time when the connection was detected(date and time of connection detection) has been stored.

This alarm display W makes the user USR recognize that the data of apicked-up image W1 of the user USR has been stored together with theshooting date and time. As a result, a user USR who connects a USBmemory 201 to the USB port 114 in an attempt to run away with commoditysales data or the like stored in the HDD 151 of the POS terminal 101decides to give up the intended unjustifiable act. This is because, ifthe unjustifiable act is carried out, the doer will be easily found out.

As mentioned above, this embodiment brings about the effect of deterringany unjustifiable act to copy commodity sales data from the POS terminal101 to a USB memory 201 and improperly run away with the data.

Some users USR that has known that the data of the image of the user USRpicked up by the camera 112 has been stored may think about erasing thepicked-up image data from the POS terminal 101 for destruction ofevidence. In this embodiment, to cope with this, access to the data inthe log folder F is controlled. This control of access to the data inthe log folder F is implemented, for example, as follows: when a userUSR is going to access the data, the user USR is prompted to enter apredetermined password by a password request screen P (FIG. 6); and ifthis password is not entered, access to the data in the log folder F isinhibited.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a screendisplay image of the operator display panel 105 with the passwordrequest screen P displayed. In the example in FIG. 6, screen displayimages other than the password request screen P are omitted. Forexample, if a user USR who intends to erase picked-up image dataoperates the pointing device 113 to click the log folder F, thefollowing takes place: the password request screen P is displayed in thecenter of the screen of the operator display panel 105 as illustrated inFIG. 6. The log folder F is not opened unless a predetermined passwordis entered in the entry area P1 of the password request screen P byoperating the keyboard 104 and the button P2 marked with “OK” isclicked. For this reason, users who do not know the password cannotperform any operation, including accessing and erasing the data storedin the log folder F. This password only has to be known to the managerof the store. When the button P3 marked with “Cancel” is clicked, thepassword request screen P disappears from the operator display panel105.

Description will be given to the processing of finding out a wrongdoer.This processing is carried out when an unjustifiable act was actuallycarried out and commodity sales data was taken away from the POSterminal 101 or on other like occasions. The processing at the POSterminal 101, described below, is predominantly carried out by themicrocomputer 161.

First, an operator operates the pointing device 113 or the like to openthe connection detection log file LF saved in the log folder F with apredetermined application. When the connection detection log file LF is,for example, plain text, this application is, for example, a texteditor. In the HDD 151 of the POS terminal 101, therefore, such anapplication is stored. The contents (date and time of connectiondetection) of the data in the connection detection log file LF openedwith the application are displayed on the operator display panel 105.The operator examines the dates and times of connection detection storedin the connection detection log file LF and identifies the date and timewhen the unjustifiable act was carried out. This identification iscarried out based on the date and time when the commodity sales data wasmaliciously accessed or the like. Then the operator operates thepointing device 113 to examine creating date and time D2 (shooting dateand time) of the picked-up image data D saved in the log folder F. Atthis time, the picked-up image data D saved in the log folder F isdisplayed on the operator display panel 105 by icon. The properties ofthe picked-up image data D, including the creating date and time D2thereof, displayed by icon can be displayed by text by performing apredetermined operation. Thus the operator can identify picked-up imagedata D whose creating date and time D2 (shooting date and time) is closeto or matched with the date and time when the unjustifiable act wascarried out. The operator operates the pointing device 113 and opensthis picked-up image data D with a predetermined application installedbeforehand in the HDD 151. As a result, the picked-up image based on thepicked-up image data D is displayed on the operator display panel 105.Thus the operator can identify the wrongdoer by this picked-up image.

The dates and times of connection detection stored in the connectiondetection log file LF and picked-up images based on picked-up image datamay be displayed on the operator display panel 105 in the form of list(FIG. 7).

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a screendisplay image of the operator display panel 105 with a list screen Cdisplayed. The list screen C includes a date and time of connectiondetection list display C1 and a picked-up image list display C2. Thedate and time of connection detection list display C1 indicates thedates and times of connection detection stored in the connectiondetection log file LF in the form of list. The picked-up image listdisplay C2 indicates picked-up images based on picked-up image data D inthe form of list. The date and time of connection detection list displayC1 and the picked-up image list display C2 indicate only part of thecontents thereof. The remaining part can be indicated by operating thepointing device 113 to move up or down the scroll box S2 of the scrollbar S1 positioned on the right of each display.

The picked-up image list display C2 in the list screen C includespicked-up images C2 a based on picked-up image data and shooting datesand times C2 b as illustrated in FIG. 7. The picked-up images C2 a andthe shooting dates and times C2 b are displayed in correspondence andalignment with each other in the horizontal direction of the displayscreen page. The shooting dates and times C2 b are based on the creatingdate and time D2 in the picked-up image data D stored in the log folderF.

This list screen C is displayed on the operator display panel 105 by themicrocomputer 161 according to a computer program installed in the HDD151 in response to a predetermined operation of the pointing device 113.In the list screen C, picked-up images C2 a and shooting dates and timesC2 b are displayed together with dates and times of connectiondetection. Therefore, it is easy for the operator to identify apicked-up image whose shooting date and time is close to or matched withthe date and time when an unjustifiable act was carried out.

Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the presentinvention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is thereforeto be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, theinvention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically describedherein.

1. A commodity sales data processor, comprising: a user interface havingan information input function; a display unit having an informationdisplay function; a camera picking up an image of an area embracing auser in a position where the user can operate the user interface andoutputting picked-up image data; a data transmitting and receiving unitallowing a storage device that rewritably stores data to be connectedthereto and enabling data communication with the storage device; and aninformation processing unit which executes: detecting connection of thestorage device to the data transmitting and receiving unit; storing,after the connection is detected, the picked-up image data output fromthe camera and shooting date and time together in a storage area;displaying a picked-up image based on the picked-up image data stored inthe storage area in an area of the display unit for displayinginformation related to execution of commodity sales data processing; andcontrolling access to data in the storage area.
 2. The commodity salesdata processor of claim 1, wherein the information processing unit isconfigured to display the picked-up image based on the picked-up imagedata stored in the storage area with predetermined warning characters asa warning display in the area for displaying the information related tothe execution of commodity sales data processing.
 3. The commodity salesdata processor of claim 1, wherein the information processing unit isconfigured to display the shooting date and time of the picked-up imagedata stored in the storage area with the picked-up image based on thepicked-up image data in the area for displaying the information relatedto the execution of commodity sales data processing.
 4. The commoditysales data processor of claim 1, wherein the data transmitting andreceiving unit is a USB port, wherein the storage device is a universalserial bus (USB) port, the storage area is in a hard disk drive, and thecamera is disposed in such a position that an image of an area embracinga user in a position where the user can operate the USB port can bepicked up.